By Libby Henrickson | Global Conservation Programs Coordinator
Dear Friends,
Introducing our 2026 Women in Science and Research fellows! Alongside ACHerpetología, or the Colombian Association of Herpetology, we awarded five scholarships to young women studying amphibians and reptiles. These scholarships cover logistical costs associated with research – with your generous support, these five women will be able to focus on their work studying vulnerable species in Colombia rather than worrying about the cost of transportation and lodging.
Valeria Obando is a biologist and an Indigenous leader of the Pastos people. She is working on cataloging herpetofauna in the Pan-Amazonian Indigenous Reserves, contributing to scientific knowledge of species presence and distribution.
Angie Julieth Lozano Valbuena is a representative of Asociacion Suigeneris, an organization focused on ecotourism in Cauca, Colombia. Her project aims to protect the Cauca Poison Frog (Andinobates bombetes) through habitat restoration, particularly local bromeliads, which the frog depends on for reproduction.
Deisy Joana Acero Agudelo is a coastal ecology specialist. Her project focuses on community education in the Uraba region of Colombia. Her work focuses on human-wildlife coexistence by changing public perceptions about reptiles and amphibians; she will also lead the community in documenting local amphibian diversity using iNaturalist.
Stefanny Quintero Arévalo is an environmental and music educator in Cauca. Her project will focus on bioacoustic monitoring and citizen science GIS to identify microclimatic habitats with potential for glass frog conservation (Centrolenidae family).
Mara Selena Mesias Bastidas is abiologist from the University of Nariño. Her project aims to create a bioacoustic library of herpetofauna in southwestern Colombia and identify threats to amphibian populations, such as chytrid fungus.
Read more about our 2026 Women in Science and Research Fellows here.
Thank you for your continued support of women in science!
Warmly,
Libby Henrickson
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